ReefHaus

Amazing color and polyp extension. You're my hero, Ty! Out of curiosity, what brand of salt mix do you use?

Today I finished an important part of the build. I had to determine how to open up the stairwell by safely removing the stud supports under the stairs. This was needed if I were to have unobstructed access to the newly opened space under the stairs, from the adjacent coat closet. This video shows the dilemma I was facing, namely, how to safely remove the stud supports under the stairs. I had a friend come over this evening and we were able to knock it out (literally) in a couple of hours. We ended up being “safe rather than sorry” and chose to reinforce the opening with a new framed header. This allowed us to remove the old support studs, while retaining structural stability. I think it was probably over-kill, but the new frame and header does provide some peace of mind. This video shows the result. Next step: Plumbing and electric!

Water Mixing Station 2.0 Upon further reflection, the dimensions of the original design will not work. It doesn’t capitalize on the vertical dimensions of the closet and ends up being too wide. This design works better, given the space limitations of the coat closet. I’m considering these tanks instead: https://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=9513-A-SP0020-OM I’d build the stand and containment basin myself. I initially thought it’d be nice to purchase the shelving and containment basin with readily available ‘off-the-shelf’ products. The tolerances of the space I must work within are too limited for that. I ‘m researching recirculating plumbing-designs with vertically-stacked tanks.

Here’s the initial draft of the water/mixing station: Containment Basin: The basin I'm considering is marketed as an “oil leak drip pan”. It’s intended catch any fluids that might leak out from under a car during oil changes. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F4PBCHP/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07F4PBCHP&pd_rd_w=LDngT&pf_rd_p=8a8f3917-7900-4ce8-ad90-adf0d53c0985&pd_rd_wg=HOhKb&pf_rd_r=8ZE3325MKNFZSX7QTF42&pd_rd_r=0ada1e61-9ea5-11e9-acd2-e9c7b410e391 Its smaller footprint (40” x 28” x 5”) accommodates the small coat closet I have to work within. The more common 55-gallon drum basins are too large for the build. This basin holds 24 Gallons. A concern is that it has ribbing along the bottom. I’d like to place the shelving directly on top of this basin to provide full containment for any leaks from the mixing tanks/plumbing. The shelves will be holding a 15gal salt mixing tank and a 20gal ATO, at a minimum. The combined weight of just these two tanks will exert nearly 300lbs of force onto the basin floor that the shelving will rest upon. The design of the shelving I’ve selected evenly distributes the weight, so in theory, that load would be under 2.5 lbs/square inch across those ribs, and I imagine they’d support that weight? Difficult to tell without having the basin in front of me to assess its rigidity. I could scrap this pre-formed plastic-molded basin idea altogether and just build my own containment out of plywood and seal it watertight, but my preference right now is for this one. Sump Pump: This auto-sensing pump triggers at low depth (1/3 inch). https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MWG69RN/ref=psdc_554568_t2_B0009X8O2E I’d plumb it to the guest bathroom drain-line. When the basin fills, this kicks on, pumping water from the containment basin to the drain, preventing the 24gal basin from overflowing. My plan is to cut-out a 10” x 12” rectangle from the bottom-center of the shelving to accommodate placement of the pump underneath the first shelf. Shelving: I like this unit because it’s plastic, it fits inside the footprint of the containment basin, it’s ventilated, and it’s rated at 150lbs/shelf which should accommodate the tank weights. https://www.grainger.com/product/PLANO-MOLDING-Freestanding-Open-Plastic-54VJ03 It’s also one of the few designs that rests completely flat to the floor, evenly distributing weight. And, I should be able to cut out a 10" x 12" rectangle from the bottom of it to accommodate the sump-pump. Mix Tanks Salt Tank: I already have a 15gal (26”x11”x15”) rectangular tank from my last build with a recirculating external pump for salt mixing. It works well as a mixing/storage tank for small batches of salt water. I generally only mix 10gal at a time for periodic water changes. I also have a 32-gallon brute trash can in the garage when larger salt production is required. Discharge Tank: I’m contemplating adding a second 15gal tank to accommodate the discharge of a continuous-water-change system but I’ve not yet decided on that yet. It's another fail-point and I'm a big fan of eliminating every possible fail-point in the system, wherever I can. If I'm able to learn the arcane secrets of the hobby from Farmer Ty, I won't need to change water! Kidding aside, I'd love to limit water changes as much as possible. And, I have much to learn from Farmer Ty. RODI Tank: Something like this 20gal (14”x28”x12”) tank is what I'm considering for the RODI. https://www.tank-depot.com/productdetails.aspx?part=A-SP0020-LC Its small footprint and rectangular-design accommodates the space-restrictions I’m working within for this build. ATO: I have small 15gal ATO that I had custom-built by melevsreef for my last tank. It's a perfect size for placement over my sump, which is an interesting Idea I'm considering. The concept is to periodically pump water from the primary RODI tank to this satellite ATO tank, then gravity feed the ATO into the sump. This design would provide a fail-safe ATO solution as there’s no way to ever flood the system with more than the capacity of the small ATO over the sump. The gravity feed eliminates switch failure, as there is no switch to fail in this setup. Just my thoughts for today... I'm still working through the plumbing/electrical design elements of the build. I realized that I needed at least a rough outline of my intentions for the water changing station to do that. Thanks for any insights!

Thanks for your image- what a great use of space! That ATO design (with the catch basin) really helps me visualize the implementation of a “flood basin” in my build. My goals for water management include: -Flood Basin: a way to contain water in the event of a critical-fail (ATO’s are classic fail-points). Go to the 7minute mark of this video to see how Melevsreef new sump install had an ATO fail last week – it happens to even the best reefers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBWPqxzDVxA I’m contemplating installing a small basin under the water mixing station and possibly another larger basin directly under the stairs. -Mixing Station/Water Changes: The first step is to determine how best to tap the plumbing from the adjacent guest bathroom. I want to connect -RODI in and out water lines -Drain: Plumb a discharge-line from the sump to under the sink for water changes. Once I get the essential plumbing design sorted out, I can move on to the next step - design plans for the mixing station area. ELECTRICAL: The guest bathroom also has a dedicated 20amp circuit that’s GFCI (shared with the master bath GFCI circuit). It’s probably going to be my best bet for adding a second circuit under the stairs, without running a separate dedicated circuit. A dedicated circuit under the stairs is not very practical/economical based on the homes current wiring. TEMPERATURE CONTROL: also impacts the electrical circuit design. Thinking how to connect a ventilation fan to ceiling above and possibly a second fan to expel air from under the stairs out into the living room and provide a cross-current of air-flow through the fish room. This design element will include electrical considerations to power the fan(s), so I’m noodling through various ways of doing this. Goal is to provide some form of air-flow through the fish room. I haven’t found many threads with images of under-stair fish room designs, here’s a few I did come across: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/andrews-240-gallon-with-fish-room-under-stairs-build.292509/ https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/120g-standard-ulm-reef-tank-build.344519/ https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/180g-build.290155/

Here's the initial draft of the fish room with the 75 gallon display I already own. 75 Gallon Display Upgrade Path My focus has been on building the fish room, which represents a significant capital outlay to do it right. Current thoughts regarding the display (subject to change) is to use my old system's display and lighting which includes a 75-gallon 48x18x21, Metal Halides/LED Hood, and a 1/4hp chiller, all of which I already have. The cost to purchase a 60" tank (I like the 125 (60x 18 x 17)) with T5/LED lighting is a 3k-4k upgrade. I just don't have that outlay right now. Having said that, I'm definitely weighing lots of cost/benefit options for the display of my current build. My biggest concern is incorporating the lighting I already own, which is where the upgrade path gets crazy (in the thousands of $$$$) when I go to 60" footprint. If I keep my current lighting, it means staying to a 48" wide tank and running my chiller (adding complexity and another potential fail-point to the build). The alternative consideration I think you're pointing to is an interesting possibility. Sell the 75 and buy a tank which accommodates the lighting I already have. There's a possibility of plumbing a new tank with the overflow to the side (peninsula-style), which opens up my options to accommodate even a 24" wide tank. Keeping to a 48x24 footprint, and playing with height options I could keep my current lighting and go up to a 150 gallon at 31" deep. I don't like tanks deeper than 25" because I find them too difficult to reach the bottom, and I'm open to any consideration. The tank I really like is the 17" tall 125 (60" x 18" x 17"). I think the more streamlined profile looks nicer, but I'm years away from that decision. Many options to be weighed right now. I love the possibilities your pointing to! They substantially open up the gallon potential of the current build. Keep those ideas flowing! Thank you!

Well it’s official - The ReefHaus 75 Gallon tank build is reborn! It began when I purchased a new house last year. The original build I’d started back in 2014 chose to take its final journey over the rainbow bridge to candy mountain, but I never lost hope. With unending prayer, I’d burn the frankincense- smoke-wafting through dim visions of grandeur. I held to the hope that one day, maybe, I’d finally buy that new house. You know, the one with the spare bedroom on the lower level that I’d convert to the ultimate fish room. I held onto all my old system components and with a deep and abiding reverence, I held onto my faith – one day the ReefHaus 75 would be resurrected! Early last year, the good news finally arrived. I was approved for, and purchased, a brand-new mortgage! I thought it had everything I ever wanted. New construction, great location, lock-and-leave convenience. The only problem was …no fish room. I sighed in resignation, my prayers to Poseidon left unanswered. “It’s fate-determined,” I imagined, “The salt-life was just not meant to be.” Flash-forward to present day. I’ve lived in the mortgage for over a year. Decorated it, got it all set up the way I love it. But there’s been this nagging thing, gnawing away at me - that itch I can’t ever seem to scratch. It tormented me for months. I found myself on the sofa watching BRS TV and wondering “Did I make a mistake?” I began to doubt myself, questioning. “Maybe I should‘ve hired Farmer Ty to be my real-estate agent?” I’d catch myself drifting off into dreamland often. Even my Jungian psychoanalyst couldn’t help me see life clearly. I sensed the inevitable relapse of an SPS tank coming at me like a freight-train. I was lost, desperately in need of an intervention. I did the only thing I could. Confessing my defects of character, I humbly prayed to my higher power. Life without an SPS tank had somehow become unmanageable again. Then, the unexpected happened. I was sitting on the living room couch last week, when I noticed something I hadn’t seen before - a coat closet next to the stairway, just off the of the living room. “A coat closet? This is Texas – who wears coats?” My curiosity grew as I cautiously crept into the closet where I discovered a wall had been built, obstructing the space under the stairs. “What might be hiding under those stairs?” In that moment, time slowed down. Animal instincts took over, and I pulled out one of these: With fierce determination I ripped through the closet drywall. My heart raced. “I have to know what’s under there!” Bursting through to the other side, what I discovered was nothing less than astonishing: NOTHING! An empty space lay before me, clear as a springtime day. “Gadzooks!” I exclaimed, “That’s my fishroom!” The miracle had happened, my prayers answered, I busily went to work searching reefcentral and reef2reef for images of fish rooms as I formulated my plans of conquest over the weekend. So begins my return quest, in search of ever-elusive SPS coral colonies. You don't have to wait any longer for it - this is the Epic ReefHaus 75 gallon Resurrection tank build. The guiding principles of this build are simple: TIME HORIZON: 2-3 year tank, just long enough to bridge my next planned upgrade/drug-fix after my daughter graduates from college. That's when the real fun will begin. (Sigh...) OBJECTIVE: To be like Farmer Ty (SPS God possessing ancient occulted knowledge, like no water changes - ever. Mind blown.) PURPOSE: Grow thriving, colorful, SPS colonies. Fish are an afterthought. TACTICS: Maintain water in a near-clinical state. PHILOSOPHY: Take care of the water and the coral will take care of themselves. BASICS- LIVING ROOM -Display: 75 Gallon (48x18x21, don’t worry, it may be small, but I’ve got big ideas!) -Lighting: Metal Halide/LED canopy (I’m old-school and I’m determined to repurpose equipment from my last build) -Stand: 2’ x 5’ custom-built to accommodate this display, with intention to fully upgrade display tank and lighting in 2-3+ years. BASICS-FISH ROOM -Under-stair, Divinely-inspired, sacred sanctuary. -Water Friendly/Flood resistant engineered floor -Temperature/Humidity controlled (TBD – big idea) -Sump: 60 Gallon (I know, right!!?? My first big idea) -Dosing Equipment -RO/DI station This is just a beginning. Sometimes a beginning is all it takes. Often, it takes more. Stay tuned …more will be revealed!